Archives for April 22, 2013

Celebrating Earth Day!

The First Earth Day

Earth Day began in 1970 by former Senator, Gaylord Nelson, as a call to awareness on using and misusing the natural resources of our planet. It was embraced by twenty million people who already had concerns about sustainable environments around the world. Today, the movement has over a billion advocates who seek to help the planet go green and stay green.

Earth Day 2013

The focus for this Earth Day, April 22, 2013, concerns the face of climate change and how these changes affect people from India to California to Japan. Everything from endangered species, to once thriving ecosystems, to destructive hurricanes brings new meaning to living on our volatile planet.

What Can You Do?

We can all help. From kids to grandparents, there are things we can do. First of all, make a commitment to become part of the movement for a Billion Acts of Green. Check the website at EarthDay.org. You can make a pledge to recycle, reuse and help restore the planet’s resources. Start in your own home. Get the family involved and see what you can do to stop wasting electricity or paper products. Go around the house and make a list of the ways you could make a difference. What else can you recycle or reuse or restore? Keep each other accountable.

For kids, consider having a scavenger hunt in the house. Give them clues to try to locate the areas in the house where you recycle plastic, or where you reuse coffee grounds on your plants. Plan to give them earth friendly prizes or take them for a visit to the neighborhood park or perhaps go for a nature walk. If you bring gloves and a few trash bags with you, you can even help to keep the park trash-free. Or you can take left-over packaging from various items and make fun animals, spaceships, etc., that you glue, sew, or string together.

Other ways to become involved are to make
bird feeders, bird houses or bird seed cakes, and place them close by so you can enjoy watching the various birds in your neighborhood enjoy your Earth Day efforts. Or how about making plans to start a garden or plant a tree–great reminders that every day is really Earth Day and you’re doing your part to keep your world a better place to live.